kinky

adjective

ˈkiŋ-kē 

kinkier; kinkiest

1

: closely twisted or curled

2

: relating to, having, or appealing to unconventional tastes especially in sex

also : sexually deviant

3

: outlandish, far-out

kinkily

ˈkiŋ-kə-lē 

adverb

kinkiness

ˈkiŋ-kē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• bizarre
• bizarro
• cranky
• crazy
• curious
• eccentric
• erratic
• far-out
• funky
• funny
• kooky
• kookie
• odd
• off-kilter
• off-the-wall
• offbeat
• out-of-the-way
• outlandish
• outré
• peculiar
• quaint
• queer
• queerish
• quirky
• remarkable
• rum [chiefly British]
• screwy
• spaced-out
• strange
• wacky
• whacky
• way-out
• weird
• weirdo
• wild

Examples of kinky in a Sentence

She says her boyfriend is a little kinky.

while passing through the airport, don't wear any kinky clothing that is likely to pique the interest of security

Recent Examples on the Web

Luster follows the thorny misadventures of Edie, a disaffected publishing employee who enters a somewhat kinky affair with Eric, a digital archivist living in New Jersey. —Literary Hub, 10 June 2025

Things get more complicated, perverse, even a bit kinky from there when Nevile marries his mistress (Mimi Keene) and then opts to summer at his aunt’s estate – with both his current wife and Audrey, his ex! —Stephen Schaefer, Boston Herald, 16 Apr. 2025

But that wasn’t the end of Skarsgård’s kinky boots. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 20 May 2025

The kinky, gay dom/sub film Pillion premiered at the Cannes International Film Festival over the weekend and caused quite a media uproar. —Mathew Rodriguez, Them., 19 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1804, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for kinky

• dinky
• inky
• pinkie
• pinky
• slinky
• stinky

Kids Definition

kinky

adjective

ˈkiŋ-kē 

kinkier; kinkiest

1

: tightly twisted or curled

2

: very strange or odd

kinkiness noun